Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Derna and Benghazi

For one person, living is cheaper in Derna: $172 a month against $424 in Benghazi, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Benghazi
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Benghazi Living Index

Jump to prices

Derna

🇱🇾 Libya

$172

/mo nomad

Benghazi

🇱🇾 Libya

$424

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Derna and in Benghazi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Derna and in Benghazi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $172 per month in Derna vs $424 in Benghazi, rent included.

Derna $172
Benghazi $424

A couple spends around $335 per month in Derna vs $713 in Benghazi, rent included.

Derna $335
Benghazi $713

A family of three spends $497 per month in Derna vs $1,003 in Benghazi, rent included.

Derna $497
Benghazi $1,003

Derna is about 59% cheaper than Benghazi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Derna and Benghazi are more affordable than the global median – Derna 87% lower, Benghazi 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.80 LYD 24.32

$2.47 LYD 15.84

53.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.73 LYD 49.56

$12.64 LYD 81.0

-38.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.20 LYD 20.50

$2.39 LYD 15.34

33.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.46 LYD 2.92

$2.13 LYD 13.63

-78.40%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 LYD 4.06

$0.41 LYD 2.60

53.66%

Cappuccino

$0.48 LYD 3.09

$0.66 LYD 4.21

-27.27%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 LYD 2.08

$0.43 LYD 2.75

-25.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 LYD 0.91

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 LYD 4.77

$0.76 LYD 4.85

-2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.15 LYD 0.93

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 LYD 15.00

$1.36 LYD 8.72

72.06%

Eggs

$0.89 LYD 5.71

$1.65 LYD 10.55

-46.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.27 LYD 40.17

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 LYD 19.74

$2.77 LYD 17.77

11.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.47 LYD 73.5

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 LYD 15.14

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LYD 4.79

$1.83 LYD 11.74

-59.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 LYD 6.02

$1.16 LYD 7.42

-18.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 LYD 4.50

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 LYD 5.24

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 LYD 4.09

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.37 LYD 2.38

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 LYD 1.47

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.33 LYD 14.92

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 LYD 3.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 LYD 4.77

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.89 LYD 12.12

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 LYD 5.24

$1.59 LYD 10.21

-48.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 LYD 2.06

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.02 LYD 0.13

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$12.6K LYD 80.6K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$14.7K LYD 94.3K

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.45 LYD 28.50

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.18 LYD 90.9

$18.67 LYD 120

-24.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.33 LYD 111

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.82 LYD 24.46

Cinema Ticket

$6.39 LYD 40.94

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$76.7 LYD 492

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$352 LYD 2,258

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.15 LYD 200

$42.16 LYD 270

-26.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 LYD 244

$34.96 LYD 224

9.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.50 LYD 247

$42.12 LYD 270

-8.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.94 LYD 250

$68.4 LYD 438

-43.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$190 LYD 1,220

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$119 LYD 762

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$157 LYD 1,009

$430 LYD 2,755

-63.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$94.3 LYD 604

$260 LYD 1,667

-63.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$191 LYD 1,224

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$76.9 LYD 493

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 LYD 1,084

$268 LYD 1,718

-36.94%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Derna: October 18, 2026

Last update for Benghazi: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Derna

–

Benghazi

$127 30%

Accommodation & Living

Derna

–

Benghazi

$119 28.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Derna

–

Benghazi

$84 19.9%

Eating Out

Derna

–

Benghazi

$37 8.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Derna

–

Benghazi

$30 7.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Derna

–

Benghazi

$23 * 5.5%

Getting Around

Derna

–

Benghazi

$3.2 * 0.8%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 59% higher in Benghazi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8.00 in Derna versus $13.00 in Benghazi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $44.00 vs $127 – making Derna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇾 Derna

🇱🇾 Benghazi

🕒 Local time

22:03 10:03 PM

Same time as Derna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000

631,555

💱 Currency

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Derna Benghazi 250 km

From you

Derna
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Derna vs Benghazi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $172 in Derna, $424 in Benghazi – roughly 146% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $258 per month in Derna and $636 in Benghazi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8.00 in Derna and $13.00 in Benghazi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $172 in Derna and $424 in Benghazi. That's a gap of about 146%.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $172 in Derna and $424 in Benghazi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Derna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Derna. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Benghazi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.